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March 8, 1932. P. BAcLE TfiANsPLANTINe MACHINE 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 25,.

March 8, 1932. A 1,848,865

TRANSPLANTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 25 1926 -3 Sheets-Sheet 2 as 77 a5 33 26' A dq 29 6 4 7 78 [nvenl'or 1920/ 530/6 per Ail/ ora March 8, 1932. A L 1,848,865

TRANSPLANTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 25, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 1x IV 6? w //v vz/v 70/? Patented Mar. 8,1932

UNITED STATES PAUL EAG E, or "LA IPOMMERAIE, nnAnironzAne-ns, Tasman ram:srnmvciri xrei i/mci Inn Application filed=September.-25, 1926,; Seria1-No..137,7719, and inirance DeQfiher .23, ,1925.

The present invention relates to aiplanting machineand more particularly to a machine for transplantingvegetables, such-as cab-v able adjustment of the intervals between plants. and with considerable decrease in the fatigue of the operator I The machine accomplishes its objectsand purposes by tracing or plowing 'aplanting furrow, then widening this furrow,] the n transporting the vegetables previously placed on a band or strip with the roots up, then detaching the vegetables one'by 0116,1t1111llng; 1:20 them over, causing them. tofall, inthe furrow pand finally gfilling the furrow with dirtand :pressing the earth around the rootsofthe young plants;

qiReference is made hereby to accom L125} panying drawings, wherein similar elements ;'are designated by similar reference numerals and wherein:

:Fig. 1 illustrates a longitudinal vertical section of the machine according to the, in-' vention on the line l-I of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a plan View. .of the machine. Fig.3 is ahorizontal section of the machine 1.011 the line,-IIIIII ofFig. 1 in the direction I I33 and rotat s therew h, isaididistributil g Y .ofzthe arrows. I a

Fig. 4; is an elevation to enlarged scale ,of

.the transporting band. l v

;Fig.-5. isa .plan view'of Fig. 4:.

- .Fig. 6 is asecti-on of the distribntingband' on the line V IVI ofFig. 4;

@to enlarged scale.

' '..F,;igs. '8 and )9 aretsections on the lines JZH +V a =I of; Figtestes,

,tively. V l

As shownkin the, drawings the chassis ofthe ;:-machine -comprises angular longitudinal .members 10 and 11 which arefastenedttothe axles12 and 13at the frontand rear ,of the :machine, respectively The front 'axle 12 is s5 apivotallyconnected by means ofai fork-.mem-

Themachine of the present invention ef ;;Fi g.-7 isa detail of thedistributing-member p 4 onfthe ends ofieacharmandareadaptedto ,Islide freely. thereon between isaijdgs topS I39 "an 40. TEe'rp ic ar lproje tiensifl are .integral .witli; ea'ch sleeve member anldlare adapted to engage circular guides. 43an' dA4 T4 ber 14 to said members lO-and 411i 1 Wheels 1 5 and iii are mounted onfront axle 12 and rear wheels'17 and 18 are mountedand jfixe d on, rear axle .13. A draw bar 19 is pivotally connected to the pivotjfortheifork m mber 14L A Spa ng bar 2 isf s ene b tween members 110 and 11 at the. rear 'ofjthe machine. r g

' A solid ,coulter 20 .and flaring members 21 22' are attached to the chassis so that th .60 furrow is made and widenedprespectively,

by passage o fthe machineffo'ver the ground,

the wheels being in adjacent furrows. A

pair ofl on erg'in ide 231tnd2ta e spaced behind said'flaring members 21 and 22 and areattached to the chassis of the ma .Cl I1 .bY b ackersas and2 r i 'Forfiy ialfd .up'ri lit members 28 -29 an" d rear uprightinembers 3O andfil are fastened to the chassis'intermediatelyand, atthe rear th rOiandsupport an apron 32 whichisprovide'd 1 with a centrally located longitudinal space. 1

Af horizontal transverse. shaft. 33 g-is rotatably mounted in forward upright mem vbers' 2.8:an1d29. pinion gear 13 iSjfast'eneld on theencl'of sai'd' shafti'33.beyondnpright inemher'. 28 anda second pinion gear 35 is Ikeyed tofthe. rear ,afXlje 13. f fAn ,endl essi chain 36 engages gears 34 and 35'so that movementsn ,of the machine and rotation of rearaxle 13 causes rotation ,o'fshaft-33.

A distnibuting; meinbeitis'rastenedto sn il;

member comprising arins 37 and 3 8, preflfer ably in quadrature, which rotate in a vertical filongitudina-l'fplane and pass through the attached in.,diametrically,,opp'osite positions v .,on said inachine", the radius of saidguijde43 being lesslthan that of guide 4A: and such that ,prdjectionsf{t2, when adj acent and, abutting v stops 40 slidablyengage"theginner surface 1 of guide 43 (see upper half of Figure 7). The radius of guide 44 is such that the projections 42, When adjacent and abutting stops 39, slidably engage the outer surface of guide 44 (see lower half of Figure 7).

The ends of circular guides 43 and 44 are in horizontal as well as vertical spaced relation so that when arm 37 or 38 is invertical position sleeve members 41 are free to fall due to gravity. In intermediate positions of the arms, sleeve members 41 are held against stops 39 if projections 42 slidably engage guide member 44 or are held against stops if projections 42 slidably engage guide 43.

Rods 45 are perpendicularly positioned near the ends of arms 37 and 38 and form a pivot for tongs carrying plants 67 and comprising jaws 46 and47 and arms 48 and 49.

Fork members 50 are positioned on sleeve members 41 and engage said arms 48 and 49 to close jaws 46 and 47 when said sleeve members 41 abut stops 40. Springs 51 are placed between arms 48 and 49 to hold jaws 46 and 47 normally open, but said spring is of such strength that it is overcome by the weight of said sleeve members 41 and jaws 46 and 47 can be closed thereby.

A vertical shaft 52 is rotatably mounted with respectto apron 32 by means of a bearing 53; A sprocket wheel '54 is mounted on the upper end of shaft 52 while a second sprocket wheel 55 is positioned on the lower end of said shaft 52 and is in the same horizontal plane as shaft 33. A star wheel composed of curved vanes 56 is mounted on shaft 33 in quadrature. Said vanes 56 engage said sprocket wheel 55 to rotate shaft 52 intermittently.

A transportingband 57 is coiled about a pivot 58, passes around sprocket wheel 54,

' an idle pulley 59 and is wound up on a pivot 60. Said pivot 60 may be actuated in any known manner (not shown) to keep the band 57 taut and to cause winding thereof on pivot 60.

Transporting band 57 is made of a suitable nonstretching flexible material, such as fabric, and is provided with a plurality of central perforations, equally spaced and reenforced by metal eyelets 61. These eyelets 61 receive the teeth of intermittently rotating sprocket 54 so that the band 57 is intermittently moved. Strips 62 of resilient material, such as rubber, are placed along each edge of the band 57. Vertical undercut recesses 63 are provided at regular intervals in said strips 62 to form projections 64 which are centered above and below eyelets 61. Re-

cesses 63 are provided in such form and size so that the plants to be transported are resiliently held between projections 64.

Tamping members 65 and 66 in theform of truncated cones are mounted in spaced relation on rear axle 13. These tamping members 65 and 66 are of such diameter that the bore 41 causes them to fall.

dirt piled up about the plants by the converging guides 23 and 24 is pressed firmly against the roots of the plants.

The operation of the transplanting machine is as follows:

The machine is drawn or driven along in any known manner whereupon horizontal shaft 33 is continuously rotated and vertical shaft 52 and transporting band are intermittently actuated. Coulter 20 makes the original furrow which is widened by flaring members 21 and 22 so that it is of proper depth and width to receive the plants. The plants are resiliently held in inverted position and transported on the band 57. Jaws 46 and 47 are open when the ends of arms 37 and 38 are in the lowermost position and are maintained thus by the sliding engagement of projections 42 on the outer surface of guide 44. As the jaws 46 and 47 approach the uppermost position the vanes 56 of the star wheel move transporting band 57 so that the head of the plant 67 is brought between the open jaws 46 and 47. Nhen projections 42 leave guide 44, the weight of sleeve mem- Fork members 50 engage arms 48 and 49, overcome springs 51 and close jaws 46 and 47 so that the plant is removed from the band 57 by further movement of the arms.

The jaws 46 and 47 are now held in closed position since guide 43 holds sleeve members 41' in retracted position. As the arms 37 and 38 approach the lowermost position, projections 42 disengage from guide 43, sleeve members 41 fall, jaws 46'and 47 are opened by springs 51 and the plant falls into the furrow.

Converging guide members 23 and 24 pile dirt around the roots of the plants and tamping members 65 and 66 press the dirt down to make it firm.

Since many different modifications of the present invention are possible, this disclosure is to be construed in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having now particularly described my invention, what I desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States and what I claim is I 1. A transplanting machine, including a f trans ortin member for trans ortin lants t: a p

member removing the plants from the transporting member, then rotating the plants until the roots thereof are downward and finally'releasing said plants, and actuating means engaging the perforations and intermittently moving said band.

2. A transplanting-machine comprising, 'a transporting member for the plants in in- September. 1926.

verted position, a distributing member removing said plants from the transport ng member, rotating said plants until the rootsare downward and then releasing the plants,

a horizontal shaft continuously rotating and supporting said distributingmember, a star Wheel mounted on, said shaft, a sprocket Wheel intermittently engaging said star Wheel and a second sprocket Wheel rigidly connected to said first sprocket Wheel and engaging said transporting member to intermittently move the same. 7

8. A transplanting machine comprising, a transporting member for the plants in inverted position, a distributing member comprising arms in quadrature and plant holding means on each arm normally open during rotation of said arms and closed during the'remaining 180 rotation of said arms,

the changes in position of said holding means 7 being caused by gravity and occurring substantially at the topand bottom of the circular path thereof and actuating means intermittently moving said transporting member.

l. A transplanting machine comprising, a transportingmember for the plants in inverted position, a distributing member com prising arms in quadrature-and plant holding means on each arm normally open during 180 rotation of said arms and closed during the remaining 180 rotation of said arms,

the changes in position of said holding means beingcaused by gravity and occurring substantially at the top and bottom ofthe circular path thereof, a horizontal shaft, sup porting said arms and continuously rotating the same, curved vanes in quadrature on said shaft angularly displaced 45 Withrespect to said arms and a sprocket wheel in+ termittently actuated by said vanes and engaging said transporting member' to move 7 the head of a plant into position to be grasped by said holding means in uppermost position.

The foregoing specification of my Machine for planting cabbages, beet-root's, turnips, etc, signed by me thislSth day of PAUL EAGLE. 

